Increased violence on Teesside following several shooting incidents

There has been an increased in violent incidents on the streets of Stockton & Norton in recent weeks.

Local residents are worried that the violent acts in which firearms have been discharged will continue, they fear someone will be killed.

Armed officers have had their work cut out in recent weeks following a shooting outside a postoffice, a shooting outside a house in norton and a car was rammed into a house.

Police believe a shotgun was used in both shootings, thankfully there have been no reported injuries but it is feared if the police are unable to stop these incidents they will increase.

The incidents have all been linked and it could be related to a feud, cops have arrested a number of people they believe are responsible but the evidence is not currently strong enough to have anyone held in custody.

Cleveland Police have now said ‘enough is enough’ but are there enough cops to defuse the situation?

Police want to make it crystal clear that enough is enough following the increasingly violent incidents.

Cleveland Police have pulled officers from other areas of the force and cancelled officers rest days to ensure a number of extra officers are within Stockton and Norton to provide reassurance.

They believe this will make it “absolutely clear to those involved that such reckless criminality will not be tolerated”.

At just after 1pm on Wednesday 9th May a car was parked outside the Post Office on Londonderry Road in Stockton with three people inside.

“While it was parked, a motorbike pulled alongside with two people on it. One of the people on the bike produced what is thought to have been a shot gun and fired a single shot into the side door of the car, denting it but otherwise causing no harm.

The bike was then ridden away.

Subsequently, a man was arrested in relation to this and is currently on bail.

Stockton Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Marc Anderson said: “We are now a few days on from the event on Londonderry Road and since then we have had constant patrols in the area to support our colleagues investigating the attacks and also to offer reassurance to local people.

“We believe that all those involved are known to each other and we are taking robust measures in order to bring responsible individuals to justice. This has been evidenced by the police activity that has already taken place within the community and arrests made.”

Police believe the shooting on Londonderry Road is linked to a number of earlier events which officers have been investigating. At 2.20am on Thursday 26th April a car was driven into a house on Somerset Road in Norton. No one was harmed. At 2.23am the same day the door of a house on Wylam Road was damaged, most likely by a single shot from a shotgun. Again, no one was hurt.

Four people, a man and three women, were initially arrested in relation to events on Thursday 26th April and are currently on bail while investigations continue. Six men from the Stockton area were also arrested, on Friday 27th, in Scarborough in connection with these events and then bailed.

Chief Inspector Anderson continued: “Stockton is a proud community and such incidents are rare. They are also clearly unacceptable. Anyone with any information which can help us identify and locate those involved and bring an end to these incidents is encouraged to contact police.”

Sajid Javid speech was received with warmth as he promised to prioritise police spending as he offered an olive branch to rank-and-file officers.

Mr Javid was welcomed to the Police Fed conference and received support from the front line cops following Amber Rudds poor reception last year over budget cuts and staffing reductions.

This was a testing first speech the Home Secretary who wanted to try and draw a line under the era of running battles between the Government and the police.

Following mounting pressures faced by officers faced with policing cuts.

As of September there were 121,929 officers across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales – a fall of nearly 20,000 compared with a decade earlier.

A pleasure to speak to @PFEW_HQ about how I will approach policing, and hear concerns from the frontline with crime. I will give you the tools, powers and back-up you need to do the job #polfed18pic.twitter.com/xS85Rtotaf

Referring to stop and search, he told the Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) annual conference in Birmingham: “Some of you don’t feel comfortable using it – and that’s not how it should be.

“I have confidence in your professional judgment. So let me be clear – I support the use of stop and search.

“You have to do your job and that means protecting everyone.”

He said evidence shows that black people are more likely to be a homicide victim than any other ethnic group.

“If stop and search can mean saving lives from the communities most affected, then of course that has to be right,” Mr Javid said.

Following a spate of violence across London and the UK there has been a sharp reduction in stop and search activity , with use of the powers at the lowest level.

Cops faced heavy criticism after they were accused of unfairly focusing on black and minority ethnic individuals.

Theresa May introduced measures in 2014 to ensure stop and search could not be used in this way.

Mr Javid acknowledged that police officers have an increased demand saying “I’m not arrogant enough to turn up here after three weeks in the job and tell you how to do yours,”

Mr Javid added that the government have had to make difficult decisions since 2010 and that he does not have a magic wand to fund everything needed but he said he was “listening and i do get it”.

“We need to think more about the long-term funding of policing.

“I will priorities police funding in the Spending Review next year.”

He said that, including funds raised through council tax, more than £1 billion extra cash is being invested in policing now than three years ago.

Addressing the fact that he had not spent much time in the role, he said that while the position of Home Secretary was his fifth in Government, he had seen the issues involved in policing and worked with the service during his other roles.

He continued that it was “not all about funding” and the Government needed to do more to “protect the protectors”, such as tougher penalties for those who attack emergency services workers, changing the laws on police pursuits, and updating their kit.

Mr Javid pledged to provide “tools, the powers and the back-up that you need to get the job done…

“For those of you who stand on the front line, be in no doubt that I will be standing with you.”

Is @sajidjavid the first guy in the @ukhomeoffice that truly knows and understands policing? His brother is a cop. There is blue blood in the family.